Electronic circuit devices are commonly encapsulated in so-called plastic leaded chip carrier configurations. The plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC) includes a generally rectanguloid body having four peripheral sides. Multiple J-leads extend through the four peripheral sides a short lateral distance, then depend downwardly to a point just beyond the bottom surface of the PLCC, and then extend inwardly towards the corresponding side and terminate in a short upstanding flange that confronts the bottom portion of the PLCC. The heretofore sockets in which such plastic leaded chip carriers are received and by whhich the received PLCC's are mounted to printed circuit boards are disadvantageous in several important respects. In the first place, the heretofore known sockets have resilient contacts that electrically and mechanically contact corresponding J-leads that act in directions generally perpendicular to the direction of insertion and removal of the PLCC, whereby the cummulative lateral force on the several contacts is of such a magnitude as to require a special tool to enable PLCC insertion and removal. The sockets are thus cumbersome and quite unhandy to use. A second disadvantage of the lateral force sockets is that the lateral forces not only tend to deform the profiles of the J-leads, which leads to failure of electrical contact and device malfunction, but also induce cracking strains in the plastic encapsulations, which leads to loss of body integrity. As a result, the heretofore known sockets have a life that is limited to less than ten (10) insertion/withdrawal cycles, which is in itself disadvantageous, and which, in view of the comparative complexity of the sockets, makes them quite expensive from a materials, a production and a replacement standpoint.